NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa School Board voted unanimously Monday night to name Marco Valle as the new Zone 2 Trustee.
Valle will replace former trustee and board vice president Mike Kipp. Although he will not be officially sworn in until April 11, Valle has been asked to attend all school board meetings beginning immediately.
The new trustee was chosen from among three applicants following a round of interviews with the school board.
Valle, the father of a disabled son, vowed to champion students with special needs and mental health struggles through his role on the board.
"It is not a question of being a conservative or a Republican or a Democrat, it is a question of serving our kids," he said after being selected. "Sometimes, I speak too loud, but I am very passionate and I will hold people accountable to what they say. And I know they will hold me accountable."
Kipp, Valle's predecessor, resigned Jan. 28, writing in a letter that he had become exhausted and demoralized by the vitriol aimed at school boards as they made safety decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At some point along the way, it felt as if the arguments about a global pandemic (and even its legitimacy) had diminished our focus on student achievement,” Kipp wrote.
Nampa School Superintendent Paula Kellerer announced her own resignation days later, citing similar conflicts with the school board over education in the pandemic. Gregg Russell was named interim superintendent in her place.
Valle is the fourth new trustee to join the five-person board since the beginning of the year. His term on the school board will run through Dec. 2023.
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